Blossom and Smoke
by Peanut-Alien-Ninja-Girl
Summary: [Sequel to Apples/Pre-Konoha] Ringo's life had always been devoid of difficult choices, and her future didn't promise to be much different – which she didn't really mind – But war was uncertain and the ones involved with it even more so. She was certain that every moment she spent near Madara was a threat to her lifestyle, yet something seemed to keep her rooted right by his side.


Although I highly recommend reading the original story, I made a summary of it from one of the characters perspective. It leaves some of my favorite things out, but I re-read the original and I think that the first few chapter could've been much better written (and also Madara gets hit by a fruit) so I empathize with anyone who didn't want to keep up with the story from the start. That, or maybe the characters age was off-putting… Having teen Madara and Izuna was actually one of my favorite things (Because it's kawaii!), but... yeah, for the people who prefer more adult stuff (*cough*nottalkingaboutlemons*cough*), and for the people who liked the story and wanted me to stop being a brat and give it a decent ending, here is the sequel to Apples: Blossom and Smoke!

* * *

At first, Ringo didn't think there would be anything particularly interesting about her day off.

She woke up to a sunny morning, to find her father already up and making food. As they ate, mostly silently, she looked through a small window, and sighed inwardly upon realizing that the view was one she was getting used to.

For reasons she didn't know – and didn't really care to learn – The Uchiha, the clan her ancestors had been subjugated to for generations an generations, to the point there was virtually no distinction between them, had engaged in a dispute with a clan to the east of their lands, and as the battle was happening just outside of their borders, all of the villages in the area – hers included – had to be evacuated and relocated to the outskirts of the main building of the clan.

That had been nearly six months ago.

She thought it odd that the Uchiha had waited for so long to send their main force of attack – namely, their leader – to the battle-field, but she wasn't going to voice her opinions on the matter, as she was ignorant in the subjects of politics or war, but also smart enough to know that none would listen to her if she tried to.

Not that many people knew this, but Ringo had had access to the clan's leader for a good portion of the time she had been there. Unfortunately, most of this time had been spent on her knees, enduring the man's insults, and she didn't think criticizing his leadership skills would do her any good. Fortunately, their relationship had progressed with time, which, considering the past they shared, was a complete surprise.

She met Madara four years ago, when he and his brother were sent in a mission to patrol the borders of their territory, which happened to be close to her home. Their first interaction hadn't been great either; she threw an apple at his head after he tried to steal from her family's orchard. The effort had been in vain, as he ended up getting the fruit anyway – her father even gave it to him. He had later explained to her that he only did so because it was better to stay on the shinobi's good side, since there was a chance that he knew of her brother's – Michio, who he had left to become a shinobi nearly one year before that incident – whereabouts. Besides, Madara and his brother were considered prodigies, and angering them was not in their best interest.

The farmers welcomed the siblings into their home, gave them food and access to all of their belongings, not out of kindness, as her father disliked ninja, but in case they could get something out of their presence.

And they managed to find this something.

Izuna told her of his and his brother's wishes to control the clan in the future, a secret she promptly reported to her father. At first, that was of little use, but, by what seemed to have been pure chance, he stumbled upon a squad of shinobi from the Shirohae, and striked a deal with them. As the clan in question was interested in taking advantage of the turbulent times the Uchiha were going through to claim some of their territory. As her father knew that Madara and Izuna could stop the seemingly constant descent of their clan, he suggested helping the Shirohae in a ploy to kill the two brothers. Several arrangements were made, and soon Ringo found herself entwined in the scheme, and even though she wasn't pleased about it, she knew that if they backed out now, the Shirohae would kill them, and so she helped her father out by relating important information on the brother's to her father.

It didn't take her long to start regretting it, though. Her relationship with both Madara and Izuna had grown more than she would have ever expected –_especially_ with Madara. She searched for a way to stop the Shirohae's plans without putting her father's life in danger. Unfortunately, that required putting _hers_ instead, but she knew her priorities.

She ran off towards the place she knew the Shirohae were camping, hoping that her disappearance would cause the two brothers to go looking for her, and, upon finding the other clan's squad, ambush them. Although the only one to find her had been the eldest sibling, he didn't disappoint, killing all his opponents, and successfully undermining the plan.

After this incident, she thought the Shirohae would give up on trying to kill Madara and Izuna, but she had miscalculated. On the day they were to return to the Uchiha compound, the brothers were ambushed by another enemy squad, and though they had no trouble defeating them, they managed to get one of the ninja to reveal the plan, revealing her father's involvement in the attacks. Needless to say, things didn't end well.

It wasn't something she liked to dwell in, but whenever she did, she couldn't help but marvel at the fact that she was still alive.

"Well…" The girl spoke softly, and so she wasn't truly surprised when the man in front of her showed no reaction. She was a little disappointed, if anything.

Ringo set her hands on the table and hummed, trying to capture her father's attention. Katsuro looked up from his food, and smiled at her.

"Done already?"

Ringo nodded "I was thinking of paying a visit to Asuka since I haven't seen her in a while."

"It's your day off; none can boss you around today." He said and a grin blossomed on her face "I would rest if I were you but… I guess some of us just don't need much rest." His smiled widened and she giggled, shaking her head.

"I'll be going then." The young woman pointed over her shoulder to the door, stepping backwards to make way to the exit.

"Have fun." His expression didn't change.

Before leaving the room, Ringo paused to wave at her father. He looked down just as she raised her hand, so the gesture went by unnoticed.

_Oh, well._

Perhaps the air was a bit too stuffy, but the day outside was nice nonetheless. Once she found Asuka, she'd ask her to come on a walk with her.

She was honestly concerned about her friend. Back home, thanks to the distance between her houses, she didn't see Asuka as much as she'd like to, but their current residences were much closer, and it wasn't rare for the two to meet by accident on a daily basis… That is, up until two weeks ago, when her friend suddenly vanished. Of course, Ringo hadn't actively looked for her, but she didn't think it would be needed.

She arrived at the other's house – that somehow looked eerily silent to her. Of course, the house that she was living in was just as silent, but Asuka's family was considerably larger than hers.

"Asuka-chan!" She shouted, placing a hand on each side of her face to amplify the sound.

A few seconds later, a window was opened brusquely, revealing an uncharacteristically angry girl.

"Don't shout." Asuka hissed, and Ringo furrowed her brows at her friend's demeanor.

"I was worried about you." She replied defensively, and this time the other one was confused.

"Why?"

"I haven't seen you in forever!" Ringo explained, being careful to keep her voice low while also expressing distress. She hoped she wasn't doing half bad.

"It's because I caught some stupid illness, then when I got better, my brother had it, then my mother, then my sister…" She shook her head in an exhausted way "I'm staying home so I can take care of them."

Ringo mouthed an 'O' of understanding. "Do you need help?"

"What, so you can get sick too?" Asuka grinned, almost as if the other woman had told her a joke "No way. Besides, you're the only one bringing money home right now, aren't you? You can't just do something that will keep you from working."

"Good point." Ringo pursed her lips "So you can't go on a walk with me, can you?"

"Sorry." Her friend shrugged "I'll ask father if it's alright for me to go out when he comes back later, but still, I think I might end up giving you something you _don'_t want to get."

"You're such a party pooper." she groaned theatrically, trying to inject some humor in their conversation.

"You know it." Asuka beamed "Talk to you later, butt face!"

Before Ringo could reply, the window was slammed shut, and she was left to grumble by herself. Leave it to Asuka to insist on that nickname even after all those years.

Well, now that she was alone, there was no much fun in walking. The village around the compound was too loud and chaotic for her likes, and the only way she thought she could enjoy it was if she was in the presence of a friend. Of course, she could always call Riki, but she had been spending too much time with him lately, and none of her other friends knew her as well.

As Ringo mulled over those thoughts, her feet took her where they willed, and in no time the young woman found herself in the middle of a crowd – but not an ordinary one. Rather than going about their daily activities, the people stood in the same place, some craning their necks, some celebrating among themselves, but all of them seemed to have their attentions directed to the same subject. Although she wasn't short – if anything, she was on the tall side – even standing on her toes didn't help her see what the fuss was about.

She sighed and let her shoulders drop, before noticing something bumping on her leg. She looked down and found a little girl, jumping almost frantically, probably hoping to get a glimpse of whatever event was currently happening.

"Hello." She smiled and crouched to the child's level, apparently surprising her. "I can't see what is going on either. What do you say we join forces? You climb on my shoulder to get a better view and then tell me what you see."

The girl seemed to ponder for a minute, before nodding resolutely.

Ringo bowed her head and extended her arms behind her back, so the other could use them as leverage. The girl wasted no time, clinging to her back and then finding a comfortable position on her shoulders. Once she was convinced the girl wouldn't fall off, the young woman began rising slowly, until she reached her full height.

"What do you see?" Ringo asked.

"The shinobi!" The girl practically squealed in delight, pointing to something in the distance.

"They're back already?" She asked. She knew the Uchiha had been successful in their campaign against the Kaguya (thanks to the other maid's conversations – frankly, she thought her father should place more importance in gossip as a means of information), but she hadn't expected them to return so soon.

The girl didn't listen to her question or didn't deem an answer necessary, remaining gaping at the scene in front of her.

All that enthusiasm was adorable – but then again, wouldn't most children be interested in shinobi? She knew she had been… But in her case, curiosity was mostly at fault, as her village didn't have any sort of system to teach whatever it was that ninja learned, making everything about the concept be shrouded in mystery. The children in the village surrounding the stronghold were familiar with shinobi, and so the fascination most likely came from admiration.

That was an odd thought, but it made sense to her.

Suddenly the girl let out a high pitched scream and started waving her arms frantically.

"What's happening?" Ringo asked again, furrowing her brows.

"My cousin!" The girl screeched "Daichi! Daichi!"

Although Ringo couldn't see anything, she assumed the girls calls went by unnoticed, as she kept shouting and shouting, before finally sighing.

"Can you see anyone else? Ma-Madara-sama, maybe?" She remembered to use the honorific in time. Although she knew that Madara deserved respect in certain aspects, she still didn't feel comfortable referring to him in such a formal manner. Besides, none of the people she talks to on a daily basis didn't mind the lack of honorific.

The girl stretched her neck "No. Can't see him."

"You'd think with hair like that someone would see him from a mile away." Her remark was rewarded with a giggle.

"He must be waaaaaay up ahead! I have good eyes." After this, the girl was silent, merely observing the event. Ringo remained still for as long as she could, but either their army was bigger than she had anticipated of she wasn't as strong as she thought she was, because she got tired before the procession was over.

"Time to go down." She said casually, patting the girl's legs then crouched down again to let the girl climb down.

"Thank you, lady!" She beamed at the woman, before running off into the crowd.

Ringo watched the girl disappear, then closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Despite feeling out of place in that village, she still liked to be among people – and anything that made her feel part of something bigger, for that matter. A small piece in a great puzzle, seemingly unimportant at first, but essential to the bigger picture.

She kept still and silent, sensing the world around her and feeling herself vanish into everything.

* * *

He should be sleeping.

Madara had just returned from _war_, and instead of going to rest as soon as he arrived, her decided to catch up on the work that piled up while he was away. Though he was exhausted and knew that his bad habit would only compromise his health in the long run, he was used to sleepless night, even if his brother constantly insisted that he should rest more. He could only imagine Izuna's reaction if he knew that he was that this time he was staying up late to deal with matters that didn't concern the clan.

At least not directly.

There was a knock on the door, and Madara's lips curled upwards in an expression that almost resembled a smirk. He was just in time.

"Come in."

A lanky man walked into the room, closing the door swiftly behind him. "Did you wish to see me, Madara-sama?"

"Yes, Jun." He started "I want you to investigate some files for me. More precisely, the death toll on our side on The Land of Earth five years ago."

"Do you wish me to go through all of the deaths?" Jun inquired, clearly skeptical about the other's request.

"No, I have a specific person in mind." The shinobi explained slowly "I want any records on a man named Michio."

"It's not a particularly common name, but is there another way for me to identify the exact person you're looking for?"

"He hails from Takyama, is older than me, and seems to be self-taught or some other such nonsense." Not the most detailed description, but it would have to suffice.

Jun stood quietly in the center of the room, no doubt trying to think of a reason for the clan leader to be interested in an unknown man. Well, that was one puzzle Madara didn't think he'd be able to piece together.

"Yes, Madara-sama." He bowed low after a moment.

"This is not to be taken as a priority." Madara added "This matter does not concern the clan directly… think of it as a personal favor. If you aren't able to do this, no harm will come of it, but if you _are_ then you'll be more highly thought of, and with that…" He didn't think he had to finish the sentence. He knew the man was smart enough to realize he would benefit from this trade.

"I understand." The other spoke in a careful tone "However, if this is not a mission…"

"It'll be a few hours of your free time." He explained "But keep this in mind; the sooner you finish this task, the better. If you don't finish this before the reports of the patrols in the eastern villages reach me, this will be useless."

"How long do you suppose this could take?"

"Unless there were any casualties, most likely three weeks." He replied, resisting the urge to sigh. "However, seeing as I have to put the information you give me to use, the earlier you get it, the better."

"I will work diligently on it, then." Jun nodded, causing Madara to grin.

"Dismissed." With one last bow, the man left the room, leaving the clan leader to his thoughts.

Madara pressed two of his finger against his eyelids, remaining still for quite a while, before sighing and standing up, deciding on going to sleep, as he didn't think he'd be able to accomplish anything for the little that remained of that evening… or was it morning already?

He did deserve some rest. Hopefully, he'd be out as soon as he laid down his head, knocked into a dreamless slumber, so he could feel as if he was vanishing into nothingness.

* * *

**Authors notes:**

jfc, I'm so melodramatic.

So I finally quit being lazy and named Ringo's village (Takyama). Google translate says it means 'alpine', which, while not entirely accurate… well, there are some mountains there, so I guess it kind of fits.

This chapter would've been useless if not for the last bit. Plot progression YEAAAAAAAAAH! Although my plot is still very basic, it's becoming more defined in my mind. Michio will be an important part – but I still don't know exactly how xD

Also, regarding the beta-reading thing – since someone sent me a review mentioning it, and guys, you should totally review logged in so I can give you send you a message – , it's not something that I feel I'm in dire need of, so if anyone thought of doing to help me out but is currently busy, I really don't want anyone to have more on their plate than they can eat, so it's totally ok for me to not have a beta-reader, as I'll upload the story one way or another. The thing is, since I the plot is not entirely formed, I'm willing to release anything I write for this story while it's still drafted if people are willing to give me criticism and genuinely want to do so.

Also, to the people who commented: you are all sweethearts. Srsly. If you were here right now I'd bake you all cookies S2

Oooooh! There's one more thing! This is one thing I've been doing since Apples, I name the chapters after a song or a part of the lyrics of a song, not necessarily because the song itself reminds me of the chapter (though sometimes it does) but because the word/sentence I chose reminds me of the chapter. I just thought this would be an interesting curiosity...?


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